The REAL Secret to Scrapbooking
by simfan42
Summary: Hermione still harbored anger at her incomplete book. Even after 4 years. SEQUEL to my other story "Secret to Scrapbooking".


A/N: Okay guys

A/N: Here it is! The highly cared about sequel to "Secret to Scrapbooking". ENJOY!

"Are you KIDDING me?!" Hermione yelled from the stands.

The quidditch teams clad in their bright colored uniforms zoomed before her, and with each unfair call, her patience was growing thinner and thinner.

"Oi!" Harry yelled even louder. "Are you blind, mate?" His gaze drifted between the two teams, his eyes stopping on Ron. "Go Ron! It's alright! Don't just stand there like a gaping fish!"

These words seemed to spring Ron into action with a very angry look on his face.

Hermione and Harry sat back down and looked over the stands seeing a mass number of onlookers.

"You know," Hermoine started. "If you would've told me four years ago that Ron would be some Famous Quidditch player, I would have told you you were bonkers." She giggled

"Yes well…Ron chose to be the unpredictable one. Whereas, you and I did exactly what everyone thought we would do." Harry stated.

"Besides save the wizarding world?" Hermione asked sarcastically.

"Yes!" Harry added with a smile. "I became an auror and you became a serious muilti-tasker." Harry laughed at this.

"Oh sod off" Hermione said laughingly giving him a gentle shove on the shoulder. "I am NOT a weirdo just because I figured out a way to be a professor at Hogwarts and maintain a head position in a department for the Ministry of Magic." She finished in a matter-of-fact tone.

Harry gave her a accusing stare before a loud roar erupted from the stands they were sitting in, and Harry and Hermione realized they had missed the winning goal.

"Damn." They said together. They knew Ron would go on non-stop about this one play and it was the only one they had missed.

Reluctantly, they stood up from their seats and walked towards the exit.

"Actually, you know, I'll meet you in a second. I'm going to go wait for Ron." Hermione informed Harry.

Harry nodded is head and kept walking.

Hermione turned to the right and began walking to the back entrance where the players would emerge.

Draco Malfoy had never been more bored in his life. He stared with heavy eyelids at the players zooming before him. Watching Ron Weasley play quidditch was not exactly his idea of the best date in the world.

He looked over at his date who stood at the edge of the rail watching the game from their own private box. Of course, she didn't care he was there – there was a game to watch after all.

He didn't understand what it was about his mind lately, but he just couldn't seem to find the appropriate suitor. Every single one of them had a flaw.

Too dumb, too slutty, too trashy, too fat, too skinny, her hair was too blonde, her skin was too pale…

No one was fitting.

Why should he, Draco Malfoy – a god to most women, settle for less than perfect?

He scoffed to himself at the idea.

In the past, he'd had many casual flings with several willing people, and they had been enjoyable at the time.

Now, it just seemed he was looking for something more, something better.

He was drawn from his thoughts by the abnormally loud screams of the girl who was jumping up and down madly to his right.

Draco rolled his eyes and stood from his seated position.

The tall blonde promptly walked over to him and wrapped her arms around his neck seductively before leaning forward and whispering in his ear.

"Wanna go celebrate?" she said softly.

Draco felt as if he had a rather annoying leech sticking to the side of his head.

"Actually," he began while removing her arms from his shoulders. "I thought I would go check on my sick grandmother or something. Maybe even go visit my uncle who is on his death bed."

With a wave of dismissal he swiftly left the room.

Walking down large flights of stairs never suited Hermione Granger.

They seemed to never end as she looked down to the grassy fields below which were barely visible.

"Magic." She said with a quick roll of her eyes.

She began trekking down the stairs slowly in an attempt to waste time for Ron to change clothes.

"You'd think that if they could magically make these stands larger, they could put in an elevator or two.."

She continued walking totally unaware of the strange looks she was receiving from those passing by.

"Bugger…" she mumbled. "Next time I'm bringing a sled…"

"You know, Granger, they say that talking to yourself is the first sign of insanity." An icy voice called from shortly behind her.

Hermione stopped in her journey as she felt the chill in that voice run down her spine.

Promptly, she turned around to face her addresser so she did not appear to be intimidated in the least bit.

It seemed no matter how long you went without seeing it, platinum never really lost its shine.

Draco stared down at his latest victim with his legendary smirk of confidence.

"Really now?" she began to retort. "Because I heard it was losing touch with the present"

At this he raised an eyebrow in question.

"And as far as I'm concerned," she continued as she turned her back to walk further down "At the present, your attempting to have a go at someone who happens to think arrogant bastards are a waste of time."

Hermione smiled to herself at having successfully resisted punching him in the face. Sure, it had been four years since she had seen him last, but Hermione knew a prick when she saw one. She'd dated enough to know.

Draco's face formed into an angry glare before he followed after her.

"You know, I've missed you Granger." He said as he chased her retreating figure. "Without you, my daily requirement of social satire is just not met." He stepped soundly down the stairs easily catching up to her with his much longer legs.

Hermione kept her face forward, not looking behind her to the smirk that was once again forming on his aristocratic features.

"So how are the Weasel and Pot-head? I'm sure they're simply dying without you in their company. I mean, what if they wanted to go somewhere? I'm not sure they can figure out the operation of a door knob." Draco said lightly into Hermione's right ear with an auditory smile splayed across his lips.

Hermione flinched slightly at his words, but she made no move to acknowledge his presence.

"Oh, still not talking are we? Too bad. I was hoping your legendary mouth would betray you once again and I'd have to find an alternative means of shutting you up." He chanted nonchalantly. "You know…kind of like last time?" he whispered this time in her ear once again.

Immediately, Hermione felt the blush creep in her cheeks and she stopped abruptly and turned swiftly, drawing her wand only to come face to face with a very – armed Draco who was visibly enjoying himself.

"Strike a nerve did I, Granger?" He related in voice which spoke strictly of false sympathy.

Hermione raised her wand higher, eliciting the same response from Draco.

"I try not to dwell on the past, Malfoy" Hermione spoke coolly. "I suggest you do the same."

"You know, with that cold tone you could almost fool me into believing you didn't enjoy it." Draco teased walking closer to her causing her stand more alert. Draco brought his wand to point at Hermione's throat and leaned in closer to her. "But I know better than that….Don't I, love?"

Hermione began to raise her other hand to his face when a voice from below her rang over her beating heart.

"'Mione!" Ron yelled from further down the bleachers. Hermione dropped her wand and stepped toward him. "Good to see you! Enjoy the –" his words dropped off the edge of his breath as he saw Malfoy who was just putting away his wand.

"What's this?" Ron questioned Draco. "What are you doing here, Malfoy?"

"Actually, Weasel, Granger and I were just having our very first civil and non-violent conversation." Draco relayed with a smile. "But then of course you intervened. You're good at that aren't you? Screwing everything up?"

Ron reached for his robes just before Hermione could catch his arm.

"No, Ronald, he's not worth it." She said quietly before dragging him by the left arm forcefully past Malfoy.

Ten yards later, Ron seemed to get the point and quit struggling.

"You're right 'Mione." He stated "As always." He concluded as the two began climbing the never-ending stairs.

"So 'Mione, wasn't that last play bloody AMAZING?!"

Hermione turned the door knob to her apartment door and opened it briefly allowing herself to walk through before quickly turning and locking the door behind her, placing the keys on the rack by the door.

"No visitors." She said to herself. "This is 'me time'"

She walked through her living room and kitchen into her bedroom and grabbed her bedroom slippers and robe from the closet and walked into the connecting bathroom.

As she stepped inside the inviting aroma of her air freshener greeted her nose. She looked into the mirror and shook her hair once or twice before heading to the tub and running warm water and turning the tap to release some bubbles. Stepping away, she shed herself of her clothing and restrained herself from simply jumping into the warm, comforting waters. Closing her eyes and humming to herself, she washed her hair and cleaned her body. Afterwards, she sat for a good hour before she deemed herself thoroughly rested.

Walking into her bedroom in her robe and slippers she went to her closet to retrieve her pajamas when she had a sudden thought. Standing on her tip toes she felt around the top shelf of her closet until her fingers grasped around the form of a long rectangular shaped storage box. She pulled it down and sat it on her bed before she followed suit.

Opening the box, she found that it hadn't changed a bit. Her scrapbook didn't appear to be a day older than when she made it in her seventh year.

She smiled to herself as she opened it and began to flip through it's pages. Laughing at most and frowning at some she remembered her way through it, taking in the differences that had occurred since the pictures displayed of her peers and herself were taken.

As she flipped to the last page, her face concentrated on an intense frown.

She had forgotten.

It wasn't finished.

"Damn him." She said to no one as she slammed the book shut and laid back on her bed as the springs beneath her swayed gently with her presence.

"I don't know, Draco. I'm not sure what to tell you." Blaise Zabini told his best friends as he poured the two of them shots of fire whiskey and brought them over to the couches where they were seated. He sat the glasses down and plopped down on the couch. "Maybe your just getting to picky."

Draco laughed out loud.

"Too picky? Maybe there just aren't any witches that are acceptable to my tastes." He reasoned. "Is it my fault that I was blessed with immeasurable charm and strikingly handsome good looks?" he finished with a smile that spoke the arrogance resounding in his voice.

Blaise rolled his eyes and smiled at his friend. Ever the cocky son of a bitch, he was.

Draco absentmindedly sat back on his couch and brush his fingers through his hair.

Blaise watched as his friend closed his eyes and then suddenly opened them up once again with a frightening smile playing across his face.

"You know" he began "I think it's about time I paid a visit to the Ministry."

Hermione scribbled away furiously on the parchment laid before her. If one more idiotic wizard decided he wanted to pound a house elf on the head with a large hammer she'd simply scream. Why couldn't people just get along with the creatures around them? Everyone possessed feelings.

She finished her signature at the bottom before leaning back on her chair with a sigh.

"Marie" Hermione called out the slightly open door.

"Yes, miss?" Hermione's secretary responded as she peeked her head around the edge.

"I need to have this letter sent off by 3 tomorrow. I have a class to teach at 5 so I won't be back here until at least 8" she concluded.

Her secretary gave her a swift nod before returning back to her work.

Hermione sat her letter aside and began to rub her temples with both of her hands.

It had been a long week.

Harry and Ginny were engaged (As if she needed another reminder of her failed love life)

Ron was going to the world cup.

Her parents were leaving for Maui in a week to stay for a year of relaxation.

Everyone seemed to be excelling in life – except her.

"Miss?" Marie's voice sounded from the small statue on Hermione's desk.

"Yes, Marie?" Hermione's hesitant reply came. She really didn't want to deal with anything else. At least not for now.

"You have a visitor." Came the tort response.

"Send them in" Hermione replied, and as soon as she said so she almost immediately regretted doing it.

"Not to shabby, Granger." She heard from the one person who she honestly did not care to see – or didn't think so at least.

Hermione easily maintained her professional composure and responded with a genuine smile on her face.

"Why, thank you, Mr. Malfoy" she retorted with sugar practically dripping from her lips. "Can I help you with something?"

"Why, yes actually." He continued to stare at her boring holes into her skull. "As you know, my father's estate was left to me in its entirety and I still take upon the family honor of donating a large sum of money to the ministry each year" he stared at her expectantly as if expecting to receive some sort of praise for his good behavior.

"Yes, I'm well aware, Mr. Malfoy." She returned ever sweeter. "What might this have to do with me?"

"Well," Draco began as he moved closer to lean slightly over her desk "A stipulation of my donation requires that I get to decide where every bit of my money goes." He looked at her once again seemingly waiting for her reaction. When none came, her continued. "And I thought that this year I would like to contribute to your department".

At these words Hermione raised her eyebrow slightly in uncontained surprise.

"Really, now?" she asked "Because the last I heard you weren't necessarily a strong advocate for the preservation and well-treatment of magical and mythological creatures."

"Well, let's just say I've had a change of heart." Draco said with a one-sided smile.

Hermione once again let her shock show on her face as she stood from her desk to walk to the other end of the room, several feet behind Draco to a filing cabinet which existed among others and began to rummage through the top drawer.

Draco stared at Hermione's retreating figure and couldn't help but admire the fact that even such a beautiful teenager could become an even prettier woman. Before he had time to further examine, she turned back around and walked over to him.

"Here's the required paper work for supplying our department with a donation Malfoy." She said handing him a stack of papers. "I'll expect them promptly 24 hours before you choose to hand in the money.

Draco glanced over the papers briefly before sitting them on her desk with a loud plop.

"Only you, Granger, could make a charitable action into a brisk manner of paper work" Draco said with a chuckle in his voice.

Hermione looked slightly affronted for a second before realizing he meant no foul manner.

"Yes, well, regardless of generosity, proper protocol must be taken in order to maintain order and balance within one's work environment" Hermione answered matter-of-factly.

Draco snapped. Something about her know-it-all demeanor still being present even as an adult reminded him of what he had felt all those years ago, and the deep yearning inside him stirred once again with the desire for this unobtainable wench who just wouldn't shut….up…

He'd take care of that.

Quickly, and in one swift motion, Draco leaned forward and claimed her lips as his own first with surprising gentleness, but it soon turned into a passionate kiss filled with harbored lust.

To say Hermione was shocked was the farthest thing from the truth.

She was floored.

For a moment – but only a moment – she was hesitant, before she began to respond with just as much fervor and intensity.

Draco felt his need rise up through his chest into his throat and he growled as he pushed Hermione backward with his body into the filing cabinets behind her.

Hermione hissed in pain and satisfaction.

Draco took the bottom of Hermione's hair and pulled her head back slightly so he could reach the skin on her exposed neck. He began kissing the newly found skin when Hermione realized what she was doing…and who she was doing it with.

Returning from her thoughts she quickly slid away from the pressure of Draco's body and ran to her desk where she picked up her things and walked quietly out the office door.

Draco was pissed.

How dare she have such audacity as to walk out on him.

AGAIN!

Oh no…no this time.

With a determined glare Draco followed her out the door.

Hermione sat her brief case down beside her bed and practically ran to her bathroom to wash her face.

She splashed the cool water on her face and began to take in heavy breaths.

"What was THAT about?" she said to the complete silence surrounding her.

All of a sudden a sharp knock at her door returned her to her senses.

"Oh no" she thought. "It's him"

Slowly Hermione walked to the door and opened it gently.

The door swung open so quickly and with such force that she didn't have the strength to stop it.

Draco stepped into the room and closed the door behind him.

Hermione backed up slowly with a frightened look.

Draco relished it.

It was almost as if they were 18 again.

He continued to walk toward her until he had her in her bedroom and pressed up against the front of her bed.

"Not Again" was all he said before he pushed her onto her bed with his body and kissed her fully on the mouth with a passion even he didn't know he possessed.

In a moment, Hermione let go of the kiss and stared into the face of her captor.

"Gotcha" she said with a brief smile.

For a moment, Draco thought to himself.

"What?" he asked with a confused tone.

Draco looked to his left and was immediately blinded by a bright light.

Shaking his head in recovery he saw a picture drop to the floor.

He looked down at Hermione in shock.

"It needed to be finished.' She said simply with an attempted shrug of her shoulders.

"Well," Draco leaned down until their faces were centimeters apart and bent his face to breath shallow breaths in her ear. "Now that you have the out of the way..."

Draco leaned down and kissed her with the thought that, once again, he'd have to steal a picture from her, and, once again, he'd give her a picture that suited him.

This time…

It would be even better.

With this last thought Draco merely raised his wand and muttered a few charms of silence until finally closing the door with soft 'click'.

A/N: I do believe this will be the end for the duo in this story line. Like it? Hate it? Tell me.


End file.
